Inhaler



(No Model.)

B. D. WATKINS.

INHALER.

No. 457,039. Patented Aug. 4,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN D/vVATKINS, OF NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI.

INHALER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,039, dated August4, 1891. Application filed September 27, 1890. Serial No. 366,304. (Nomodel.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN D. WATKINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Natchez, in the county of Adams and State of Mississippi,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inhalers; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements ininhalers, and has for its object to provide an inhaler with a removablecap carrying the inlet and outlet tubes and provided with a hook bymeans-of which the inhaler may be secured to the person of the operator.

To this end the invention consists in the novel construction andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and afterward pointedout in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an inhaler embodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view takenthrough the receptacle, cap, and inlet and outlet tubes. Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of the cap and connected parts re moved from thereceptacle. Fig. i is a similar View of the hood.

Corresponding parts in the figures are denoted by the same letters ofreference.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a receptacle of suitable sizeand shape and formed of glass or other adapted material, and withinwhich is placed the substance to be used.

B designates a removable cap adapted to be secured over the mouth ct ofthe receptacle and render the latter air-tight.

lhe cap B is constructed of metal, hard rubber, or other suitablematerial, and is, by preference, connected with the receptacle A throughthe medium of internal screw-threads I), provided upon the annularflange B of the cap, which are designed to mesh with correspondingscrew-threads a, formed upon the periphery of a cylindrical neck Aprojecting from the mouth of the receptacle. A tongue 0 is secured tothe cap B at one side, from which itprojects outwardly and thencedownwardly, parallel with the side of the receptacle. By means of thistongue the receptacle can be conveniently suspended from a suitableposition upon the body of the operator when the inhaler is in use, andit will also serve as a hanger for the inhaler when the latter is notemployed.

, D and E designate, respectively, an inlet and an outlet tube, whichare passed through and secured in openings (Z c respectively providedtherefor in the top portion of the cap B. The tubes D and E are formedof hard rubber, glass, or other adapted material, and project a shortdistance Within the receptacle, the inlet or force tube D having acontracted exit end D, insuring the formation of aweak or concentratedvapor when the inhaler is in use. The exterior portions of the tubesdiverge outwardly for the purpose of convenience.

For effecting agitation of the contents of the receptacle and theconsequent vaporization of the same, an air-pump F is provided connectedwith the exterior end of the inlettube D by means of flexible rubbertubing D". The air-pump F may be of any suitable or preferredconstruction; but I prefer to employ for this purpose the ordinarysyringebulb, which consists of a flexible rubber bulb provided atitsopposite ends with valves f f Connected with the exterior end of theoutlet-tube E by flexible rubber tubing E" is an administering-hood G,formed of soft flexible rubber or other suitable flexible material. Thehood G comprises a contracted neck g, within which is inserted a plug Gof hard rubber or other material and provided with anoutwardly-projecting hollow stem 9 over which the adjacent end of theconnecting tubing is forced to attach the latter to the hood. From theneck g the hood is formed flaring, preferably, as shown, and the outeredge of this flaring portion is of such contour as to adapt the hood tofit closely over the mouth of a patient and exclude the outside air.Being of soft flexible material, the hood readily adapts itself to thecontour of the face and thus effectually serves the purpose justmentioned. I

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understoodby those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

IOO

Prior to the present invention inhalers have been produced in which themedicament is exuded in the form of a moist vapor or fine liquid spray,such as that produced by the common form of atomizers. Theseconstructions are, however, open to objection by reason of the harmfuleffect upon the patient due to the excessive strength of the spray thusadministered, and also by reason of the difficulty experienced inadministering, particularly where ether or chloroform is desired to beused. To overcome these objections devices have been produced which aredesigned to reduce the spray by heat to a dry vapor previous toadministering; but to eitect this it is necessary to provide, inaddition to the inhaler proper, devices for heating the spray, whichrender the inhaler cumbersome, expensive, and inconvenient in operationand capable for use only under certain condition s. Another objectionwhich may be noted to both the inhalers just described is that they aredesigned for administering liquids solely, and are in no wise adapted tothe use of dry substances.

The office of the present invention is to provide a simple inhaler whichwill effectually overcome the objections above noted, adapted for theadministration of a dry, weak vapor without previous atomization, andwhich will as efficiently operate in the administration of drysubstances as withliquids.

In the employment of my invention pressure is applied to the bulb, whichserves to eject with force a jet of air throughthe contracted inner endof the inlet-pi pe, which acts upon the contents of the receptacle toagitate and reduce the same to avapor and to insure the proper admixtureof atmospheric air with the latter. This vapor being in acompressedcondition seeks an exit through the outletpipe and into theadministering-hood, from which it is breathed by the patient to producethe desired result. It will be obvious that as the contents of thereceptacle in its original condition do not come in contactwith eitherthe inlet or outlet pipes, when liquid is used it cannot pass in thesolid state into the outlet-tube, and vaporization is thus insuredbefore administration.

I claim as my invention In an inhaler, the combination of a'vess'e'ladapted to contain medicament, and a removable cap having an inlet andoutlet tube and provided with a hook for suspending the inhaler,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN D. \V ATKINS.

Witnesses:

S. O. SIMS, R. D. SEssIoNs.

